2018 State of the Youth

Since this campaign is all about centering teens, we wanted to spread that message far and wide. This is why 22×20 partnered with Do Something and OZY to highlight and amplify youth voices around the State of the Union as part of a live streamed event on January 31st.

The night after President Trump’s first State of the Union address, just down the street on Pennsylvania Avenue, young people shared their views on the state of the country as part of State of the Youth. Doing so brought the rhetoric of youth as the future of democracy into practice at a time when much of the nation was talking about its future.

The program featured youth voices from across the country talking about issues they believe are important to address. This included a round-table moderated by Carlos Watson, founder of OZY, powerful reflections from Brittney Packnett of Stay Woke on youth voting, and four soapbox speeches from student participants in Mikva DC (Mikva Challenge is a core 22×20 partner).

Events like this and others that happened around the SOTU are already starting to highlight great media and resources from educators to use as examples of youth voice. This DC event highlighted the results of Mikva Challenge’s Project Soapbox curriculum. This weeklong curriculum supports young people developing their own voices, research and communications skills.

Additionally, DoSomething.org and OZY are collaborating on a Grab the Mic campaign this year, featuring monthly opportunities for youth to speak on issues they care about. February’s topic is equitable representation.